4.28 lakh covered under CATCH so far

GANGTOK, 11 Sept: Chief Minister`s Comprehensive Annual and Total Check-up for Healthy Sikkim (CATCH) programme has been initiated in the state of Sikkim to achieve Mission Healthy Sikkim. Under the programme, various camps are being continuously held in all the district hospitals, health centers and in the Gangtok area where a thorough health check-up of every individual is being carried out.
A press release informs that as per the latest report, 4.28 lakh people have undergone basic health checkup where the medical staff conducted door-to-door survey, checking the Blood Pressure, sugar test and collected individual health profiles.
In the second phase, 2.20 lakh have undergone health check up and especially in Gangtok 38,419 benefitted from such camps.
With time people have learnt about the benefits of this programme and now people are actively participating, in fact, there have been times when people have been requested to come for the check-up the next day since it became impossible to cover all in one day, the release mentions.
Blood grouping, Hemoglobin, Serum cholesterol and Random Blood Sugar tests are being conducted during the camps while photographs of patients are also being taken for the health cards.
So far, the release mentions, 4.75 lakh lab tests have been conducted. One important test which is being conducted in the camp organized under the NCD, Division Health Services is the VIA test for married women above 30 years of age for cervical cancer.
In the said camp, the most common diseases found were high Blood Pressure, diabetes, stroke, skin diseases, cavities, sinusitis and alcoholism. Free medicine and counseling were also given during the camps.
This programme has been initiated in the interest of the public therefore it is an appeal to all the people of Sikkim to kindly attend the programme and take the benefit and help make Sikkim a healthy and disease-free state, the release further adds.